


Run Away

by ursocreepy



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cas Has Homophobic Parents, Dead Mary Winchester, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Homophobia, Homophobic John Winchester, John Winchester Being an Asshole, M/M, Minor Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester, Not Really but You'll Understand, Slow Burn, Stalking, Waiter!Castiel, customer!dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 00:17:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20611769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ursocreepy/pseuds/ursocreepy
Summary: . . . Learning to know oneself presupposes inevitable confrontations and clashes to find oneself halfway, where the freedom of each ends in that of the other . . .





	1. Worth a Laugh

_The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths._

If you’d ever asked Cas how it felt to fall, he’d say yes. To fall from happiness and success itself; to watch your own prosperities seem to get smaller as the bottom of the pit got closer.

But it wasn’t always like that, he had family and purpose and money for so long that he took it for granted, every bit of it.

And for that it all collapsed.

——————

Cas was at a point now where he was in the middle, not poor but not wealthy either, just sorta getting by. He can thank his job at the Quick Bite Diner for still being alive, really.

He knows the owner, David, which makes the job a little easier for him than others. But besides the minuscule sweet treatment he receives, he has long hours on the weekends, when the place is always so busy. But he’ll never complain, at least not to David.

He wouldn’t risk that.

But now, here he bustles along like an overworked sleigh dog, cleaning tables, taking orders, and carrying trays. He’s surprised he hasn’t had a stroke yet.

It was 11AM on a Saturday, so, brunch hour. Yay.

He was wiping off the lunch counter where someone had rudely left splatters of ketchup and chunks of hash browns splayed around like they’d created a piece of modern art. Well, maybe it wasn’t rudely, but it was damn sure annoying.

The shopkeepers bell jingled that sound Cas hated so much this time around, but he couldn’t show it, so finished cleaning the countertop and fixed his appearance to seem more approachable.

Turning around now, Cas discreetly watched, as he always did with people, the man take his seat at one of the two chaired tables. 

He wasn’t being creepy, it’s just when it came to this job, this was only thing that he had to entertain himself. That, was to examine the customers by what he could read from them and just straight up judge. 

He wasn’t doing it maliciously, truly, he had nothing against these people, but it’s almost all he’s got left to not give in to the temptation to just throw his apron in the trash and leave forever.

Cas gave himself and the man a moment, for Cas to read and for the man to think.

But this was a bit of a different kind of customer. Their regulars usually fit into the type of grouchy old Christian women or farm-worker type dudes. And he’s truly neither of them. 

He was wearing a dark, long, double-breasted duster coat with slim light-wash jeans. That, and these black leather Italian loafers and white button down under his coat, two buttons open in that douchey look-at-my-chest way.

Does he even know where he is? Who comes into some 3 star diner looking like that? Maybe he was a tourist, but I mean, who tours Kansas? Yeah, Kansas has some good things about it but _come on_.

Who was this guy?

Cas ripped himself from his own thought process, not trying to get caught analyzing and mapping out what this guy’s whole story was by staring at him from across the room.

With that, Cas pulled his little notebook thingy out and approached the man gently.

“Welcome to the Quick Bite Diner, my name is Cas and I’ll be your server fo the day. Is this your first time visiting us here?”

The question was always required when he did or did not recognize a face, people get free drinks and appetizers if it’s their first time in hopes they’ll tell someone else about it, thus bringing in more money.

The man grunted in response, still looking through his phone as he answered.

_Huh. Okay, then._

But Cas had to keep his act up after all, even when with this strange man, so he merely smiled and checked off a tiny little box in the corner of his notepad, then looking back to the man.

“Okay, Sir. Because this is you first time visiting us, the drinks and appetizers are free.” Cas said in his little fake happy voice he’d had months of practice on.

“Do you know what you’d like to drink today or do you need a little more time?”

This time the man looked up at Cas this time.

_Jesus fucking Christ._

_He’s so pretty._

He’s got these beautifully mixed portions of femininity and masculinity on him and, just, wow.

That, and those fucking _eyes._

And then he smiled at him, this fucking suave, toothy grin that maybe or maybe not made his knees buckle. He’d never say.

“I’d like a coffee; black.” The man said in his, of course, deep voice.

Cas hid his raised heartbeat with a chuckle. The drink was a little edgy and it fit perfectly with this mans put-together state, which to Cas, was worth a laugh.

He scribbled down the drink order and looked back down to the man once again. Whilst remaining eye contact, he pulled a single menu out of the pocket in his apron and handed it to the man.

Cas smiled once again with a single, little head nod, and spoke, “I’ll be back in a moment with your drink. If you’d like, please pick out an appetizer as well when ordering.”

Trying to avoiding the assumingly inevitable, Cas walked away without tripping and falling like a schoolgirl in a teen romance novel.

Cas had to keep up his composure and friendly act to his best ability, because he has one rule he must always follow, according to David;

_‘Don’t hit on my customers.’_


	2. Too Much Thought

Cas ripped out the order sheet as he walked, quickly placing it on the rack in the back. Cas then shuffled away as fast he could, trying to avoid the cooks.

With that handled, Cas looked around to see if there were any new customers or tables to clean off.

Thankfully, no.

Well, there was a sweet(ish) lady in the back who might want a refill of her iced tea but he’s not gonna do that right now. There is a very handsome man waiting for his cup of coffee.

You better believe Cas is gonna _get that man some fucking coffee._

Then the bell dinged, the pushable one, and Cas went back to retrieve the cup a little too eagerly. He came close to hurting himself, grabbing the coffee so wholeheartedly that it’d slipped his mind coffee was a hot beverage and would’ve just gotten off the pot.

Cas only burnt himself a little, he wasn’t gonna cry. If he was alone he would though, use it as an invitation to sob about more than just the stinging burn, but again, it’s Kansas.

Before he could genuinely hurt himself anymore, he pulled out a napkin from another pocket in his apron, wrapped it around where he’d hold it, and carried it on towards the man.

When Cas made his way to the table, Handsome Man, that’s his new name, looked up at him, clearly in a thought.

“Here you are, Sir.” Cas said calmly, despite the fact he wasn’t calm at all, setting the cup down on the table and taking the napkin with him when pulling his hand back, shoving it into his back pocket.

Handsome Man did the smile again, the one that had the strangest control over Cas. Honestly, Handsome Man has been here for barely ten minutes and Cas' already willing to eat out of the his hand.

With that thought, Handsome Man’s smile grew even cheekier. 

_Can he tell Cas is checking him out? Why’s he smiling?_

_Oh God, he can’t do this._

_Not here._

_Not now._

Cas' stomach dropped. If only he was a girl, he'd be able to react like he'd want to. Flirt, accept dates, not fear his parents are somewhere lurking at all times. He can't be himself here. He can't be gay.

So, Cas quickly made up a new act, an orderly one. No personality, just plain business.

_Not gay. Nope. No. Absolutely not._

Cas relaxed his shoulders and the lingering smile he had was pushed deep, deep down.

“Are you ready to order, Sir? Or do you need more time?”

“Ah,” He started, looking back down at the menu, “I’d like the Bacon Egg & Cheese Melt with Hash browns, please.”

Despite Cas’ new overall monotone aura, Handsome Man didn’t stop smiling, even as he spoke, it was still there. The flirtatiously hooded eyes and the smugness radiating off of him didn’t subdue.

Cas pulled the pen out from behind his ear and wrote that down on his note book, nodding to himself.

Looking back up, he spoke, “Anything else you’d like today, Sir?”

“Your number’d be nice.”

Cas felt like his jaw might drop dramatically at that. Again, does he _know_ where he is?

Jumbling over his words, Cas stared at him in disbelief. There were a few things that didn’t make sense to him at all.

First off, why _him?_ Why in gay hell would such a beautiful man ask for _his_ number?

Secondly, does have no shame? Someone could over hear them and do God knows what. Fucking throw a fork at them or something, he doesn’t know. But why risk that?

And lastly, they don’t even know each others names! Well, Handsome Man knows Cas’ name, but that’s only because he was required to tell him! Cas could be a serial murderer for all he knows, how do you not consider those possibilities?

Cas faked a scoff then, it hurt a little to do it but it’s fine, he needs this job. 

“I’ll return with your meal shortly, Sir.”

Dismissing the request, Cas walked back to the kitchen, keeping his head down and murmured something along the lines of having Pedro, the main cook, text him when “Number 89’s” (Handsome Man’s) meal was done. 

Cas walked out the back door quickly, thinking if he didn’t get air soon he’d possibly collapse. It’s a big theatrical but he doesn’t care, he’s convinced any ounce of riskiness in this workplace would kill him. And technically speaking, it could be his downfall.

Honestly, even if he wasn’t risking his current position, would he even give Handsome Man his number? He hasn’t hooked up with someone in years, much less went out. He’d probably be awkward or want to take it too slow or share too much information or just generally mess the entire thing up.

No, he had to be entirely business. Always.

That, and Handsome Man seems incredibly comfortable with himself and wouldn’t want to be with some closet-case anyway. Well, he isn’t entirely closeted, his parents found out not too long ago, that, and David could just tell somehow. His point is that it’s not like he’s telling people willingly, it’s far from comparison to telling people his favorite color.

Also, how could Handsome Man tell he could be attracted to men? He was wearing fucking khakis and a purposely oversized red polo tucked in all the way. That was literally his best Straight™️ outfit he could accumulate.

Maybe it’s the way he holds himself with his hips and not his shoulders, or maybe it’s his well-done haircut, or maybe it’s his socks, or maybe it’s the way-

His phone buzzed in his back pocket, probably his text from Pedro, making him drop his stupid worrying.

He’s putting too much thought into this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that my chapters are always so short shfjskjfskd,, ,,, ,,,,, but i have !!!!!!!!! genuine !!!!!!!! pride !!!!!!!!!! in where i want this story to go so i'm not gonna abandon itttttt


End file.
